What is Archaefructus?
Q: What is Archaefructus?
A: Archaefructus is an extinct genus of herbaceous aquatic seed plants.
Q: Where did its fossils come from?
A: Its fossils come from the Yixian Formation in northeastern China.
Q: How old are these fossils?
A: These fossils are about 125 million years old and date back to the early Cretaceous period.
Q: What makes Archaefructus significant?
A: Archaefructus is significant because it is the earliest known genus of flowering plants.
Q: Does Archaefructus have sepals and petals?
A: No, Archaefructus lacks sepals and petals.
Q: How are its reproductive organs produced?
A: Its reproductive organs, carpels and stamens, are produced on an elongate stem rather than condensed into a flower as in modern angiosperms.
Q: What is the alternate interpretation of the fossil of Archaefructus?
A: The alternate interpretation suggests the long stem to be an inflorescence rather than a flower, with staminate (male) flowers below and pistillate (female) flower above.
